Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order Monday prohibiting federal immigration agents from using city-owned property for immigration enforcement operations, as the Trump administration deploys National Guard troops to Illinois.
Johnson established the "ICE-free zones" — referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — as part of his Protecting Chicago Initiative, rejecting President Donald Trump’s crime crackdown and deportation rollout in the city.
"Today, we are signing an executive order aimed at reining in this out-of-control administration," Johnson said during a news conference on Monday. "The order establishes ICE-free zones. That means that city property and unwilling private businesses will no longer serve as staging grounds for these raids."
As Chicago seeks to thwart ICE's deportation efforts, Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker filed a lawsuit Monday, attempting to block the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to Illinois.